Decision Support

I read in the New Scientist last week how the makers of mass cinema entertainment now have a new software "decision aid" that seems remarkably capable of predicting which movies will bust blocks and which ones will bust studios and careers. All you have to do is feed an artificial neural net with information relating to the following seven parameters:

• The star value of the cast
• The age rating of the film
• The time of release relative to competing features
• The quantity of special effects
• Whether or not the film is a sequel
• And the number of screens it will open in.

Sadly (for screenwriters at least) it is very accurate. It has been correct to one category either side 75% of the time. (It has a 35% success rate in predicting a specific category result.)